9 years in the past, progressives wished James Comey strung up within the public sq.. Immediately, he’s their trigger celebre. How instances change.
In 2016, Democrats lambasted the then-FBI director for going public days earlier than the presidential election with probably damaging particulars on the probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal e mail server. Many partisans later accused him of costing Clinton the election.
Almost a decade later, the Justice Division beneath President Donald Trump has pushed two felony fees in opposition to Comey alleging that he lied to Congress in 2020 when he testified about leaks relating to the Russian collusion hoax that dominated the president’s first time period. Democrats are actually aghast, speeding to defend Comey.
However their efforts to rehab his repute rely upon historic revisionism.
The FBI has been politicized nearly since its founding (suppose: J. Edgar Hoover). Comey continued in that custom. Let’s not neglect that he initiated the Russia investigation primarily based largely on the nonsense within the Steele file — a main supply of which had ties to Russian intelligence.
The following particular counsel probe by Robert Mueller discovered scant proof that the Trump marketing campaign colluded with Russia. However the harm had been executed.
It’s additionally price remembering that FBI brokers beneath Comey lied to the key Overseas Intelligence Surveillance Court docket in an effort to safe permission to wiretap Trump marketing campaign adviser Carter Web page as a part of the Russia probe. The company was compelled to apologize after an inspector basic report revealed that the brokers withheld info “that was inconsistent with, or undercut, the assertions contained within the (search warrant) functions.”
Comey’s indictment doesn’t present nice element however stems from testimony he gave to Congress 5 years in the past. In the course of the testimony, CNN reviews, Comey “doubled right down to the Senate that he had not been authorizing leaks to the press when he was FBI director atop delicate 2016 investigations.”
Solely a handful of individuals — together with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen — have been convicted of mendacity to Congress. Comey maintains his innocence and mentioned he welcomes a trial. The case will rise or fall on the proof.
Regardless of what’s implied within the vocal criticism of the costs, Comey wasn’t indicted by Trump. He was charged as a result of a majority of these serving on a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, believed there was possible trigger for an indictment. A federal decide oversaw the grand jury proceedings, one other verify on abuse.
In defending their relentless marketing campaign to jail Trump — and even to maintain him off the 2024 poll — Democrats insisted that “no man is above the legislation.” That adage additionally applies to Comey.
Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal/Tribune Information Service
